Increasing your awareness of financial and other scams is the first steps toward fraud prevention.

A few tips to maximize your own privacy and security are:

Never send money or give personal or financial information to anyone you do not know and trust – online, over the phone or in person.

Take a moment to think carefully about what you’re being asked to do. Does it make sense? With financial scams, the information presented is often incomplete or inaccurate.

The best course of action is to delete suspicious e-mails without opening or replying to them. When in doubt, get independent advice from a trusted source.

Knowing what to look for may help you avoid becoming a victim. Whether or not the scam is successful, you should report your interaction with individuals or groups whom you believe to be acting fraudulently to the appropriate authorities.

Report an incident

Fraudulent or suspicious activity can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, through its website or by telephone at 1-888-495-8501. This government agency collects information on financial scams and identity theft in Canada directly from the public.

Instances of misleading or deceptive marketing practices should be reported to the Competition Bureau online or by phone at 1-800-348-5358. The Competition Bureau plays an important role in helping Canadians get the information they need to be informed and confident consumers.

Victims of fraud are also encouraged to speak to their local police service by contacting a non-emergency provincial hotline.

Ontario Provincial Police: 1-888-310-1122

Quebec Provincial Police: 1-514-598-4141

RCMP (rest of Canada): 1-613-993-7267

If you believe that your banking or credit card information may have been fraudulently obtained, speak to your bank or credit card issuer. Often, their contact information can be found on the back of your bank and credit cards. You should also contact the credit bureaus Equifax and TransUnion.